Machine for molding concrete and the like blocks



5 Sheets-Shee'l'I l ',Hglf

May .274, 1924. f

. F. BONNET v MACHINE FOR MODDING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE BLOCKS Filed Sent. 24

Hlill May 27.1924. I 1,495,879

F. BONNET MACHINE FOR MoLDING colycnETE AND THE' 'LIKE BLocKs Filed Sent. 24. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 In Ven/fdl@ May 27, 1924. v v1,495,879

F. BONNET MACHINE FOR MOLDING CONCRETE AND THE LIKE BLOCKS Y'May 27, 1924. 1,495,879

F. BONNET vMACI'IINE FOR MOLDING CONCRETE AND TI- IE LIKE BLOCKS Zvi/wr Zmm; 2m mf ff'farrzej May" 27, 1924. y l'1,495,819

F. BONNET MACHINE FOR MLDING CONCRETE AND THB LIKE BLOCKS Filed Sent. 24. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Z i Y .frz um u l da s j 8 f 7'/ 6W/far.-

Patented May 2.7, 1924.

narran srarss FRANcors BONNET, or VILLEFRANGHEfsUn-SAONE, rimNcn.v

MACHINE FOR MOLDING CONCRETE AND nT-IEVLIKE BLOCKS.

Application led September To alt leli/1.0711., t 'may concern.' y

Be it known that I, FRANQoIs BONNET, a citizen of lthe French Republic, and residing at Rue Grenette, Villefranche-sur- Saone, Rhone, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Molding Concrete and the like Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for molding` concrete and the like blocks of the kind wherein a cam raises a piston supporting the mould and allows it to fall back suddenly, producing a shock orV violent concussion at each rotation of the cam which causes gradual and uniform compression of the entire mass contained in the mould.

The annexed drawings illustrate the invention.

Figs. 11o ft .illustrate one form of construction of the machine of which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a. section on line A-fA of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. vertical section on line B--B of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a. section on line C-C of Fig. 2.

Figs. 5 to 11 show in a smaller scale a 4modified construction of the .machine in which;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the axle of the cam shaft and of the mould carrying piston. v

Fig. 6 i. also a vertical sectioinlout in a plane at right angles to that'of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 ls an outer view in elevation of the side Acomprising the working bottom 1 being removed.

F S is a vertical section through the axis of theme-tor shaft. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through the axis of the shaft carrying the pinions gearing withthe racks; Fig. 10 is also a horizontal section but through the aXisof the `motor shaft; Fig. 11 is a plan view of the whole of the machine, the mould cylinder being removed.,

Figs, 1.2 and 1?) are detail Ysections illustra-ting the iapplication of the machine for making foundry moulds.

The machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4L comprises a cylinder l. cast with a base 2 and a casing 3, 31 intended to 'enclose coup-ling and unconpling mechanism, and the casing 38 enclosing a toothed wheel. The casing 3, is closed by an end Aplate 4 which is secured by means of screws and is prolever, the

24, 1920. serial No. 412,501.

vided with a boss 5 forming a bearing for one of the ends of an elevating shaft 6 which passes. almost tangentially through the walls of thegcylinder 1, as shown in Fig. 2. At the intersect-ion ofthe shaft 6 with these walls bearings 1 are formed for said shaft and also serve as abutments to two pinions 7, 7 keyed on the said shaft 6 and engaging with. two vertical racks 8, 8,sliding in suitable housings 81 formed inthewalls of the cylinder 1. Onr the part of the shaft 6 extending into the cylindrical lupper part 3 of the casing is loosely mounted a helicoidally toothed wheel 9, vrecessed on one surface and having in said recess a toothed crown 91 with which can engage a toothed sleeve 10` keyed on the shaft 6 and slidable thereon by the action of a fork 11 embracing a collar of the sleeve. This fork is attached .at the end ofthe shaft 121 of a pedal 12 mounted outside the machine. This shaft can rotate in a bearing 13 formed inv the wall of the casing 3, Fig. 3, and it has at the'end a square member' on which is mounted a lever of theA pedal which is provided with a counter-weight 14. y

A, shaft 15 extends lengthwise through the rectangular part 31 of the casingand is supported in two bearings 16 provided at theends of said part 31. lOn this'shaft are mounted` a` worm 17 engagingwith the wheel 9 and a. straight toothed pinion 18. These two members 17, v18 have on their' facing surfaces claws 171 and 181. This shaft 15 is the motor shaft and for this purpose carries flywheel-pulley 30 receiving its movement from a suitable transmitter. y:Between these two members is keyed on the shaft a double clutch sleeve -19 having au annular groove engagedibya fork y20 on which is articulated the endo'f a small connecting rod 2l of which the other end is provided with a shaft 22fwhich passes through a suitable bearing in the plate` L1. The part of this axle shaft which eX- tends through the plate f1 forms a perpendicular lug sp-lit at the end and to which articulated an operating lever 24 comprising alinger 25 'which engages in the slit of the lug;r 23. This lever is of asuitL able length and extends through a cageBG fastened to the plate l and of which the inner surface parallel with said plate has notches corresponding to the positions, u, b, c which said lever is to assume in order chine further comprises af" sha'ft126sit`uated below the cylinder 1 and intersecting the axis of the latter" at right* angles Yltis1-` supported in two bearings, one of which ,27

is east with the cylindeiandthe baise, .whilst the other 271 isr integral with acap 28 closing an`r opening'. 281 provided` in the bias-e'v forY thepurpose of allowing the mountingN olither said shaftr and otthe cam 29 keyd'onsaidshaft between the twoV bea-r-V ings 27, 271.' The"saidshaftcarries at' the eiidf al tothedwheel "311 which A meshes with thief pinion 18Qandi, hioiised int acasing 32 terrified: by" the base* and closed by a piste In' the cylinder 1 is housed a piston oifiwhjich the upperpartisggreater than the widthlsotfth'e"cylinder and forms a plate intended"to receive the various shapes and sizes ot'the moulds used. The rim of this plate' carries 'three equi-distant rods 361 which p'ass'through the collar 111 at the top of thecylin'der-,these rods are Atasten-ed by one end to the plate and the opposite screwthreafded en'dt receives a nut and 1counter-init 37,*.tlie'positiontrl which'is regulated in or-r der to allow of the alternate rising); and talling;A movement" of the v pist-on,- but so4 as .to prevent the accidental traction ot the latterat'tlie ejection ofthe manufactured block.

flhe lowerl portion of this piston forms two bearings 38 through which passes a stationary shaft 391 and on which revolves loosely` a rollery 39 pla-ced between the two bearings and-immediately above the cam 29 andin the'samevertical axis, Fig. 4.

`'Ihepiston 34n has a recess 40 on the surface of its lower portion; this recess has such shape and dimens-ions so that the alter; natingmovement ot saidpiston may take place without being' affected by the presence ofthe shaft 6 controlling the racks 8.

The upper ends Voi" these racks pass through the plate 35 and extend at 811 a little beyond the surface' of said plate, these projections 811 are intended to enter into two cavities provided in the underside of the. movable bottom of the mould employed, it being explained that thebody ofl said mould is fixed'to the plate, Neither the mould nor tits movable bottom are' illustrated.

Any type of mould with' a vertically movable bottom can be employed.

The working 01' the'machine is as' followsz-- c The racks 8 being at the bottom of their coursecthe movable bottom ot the mould is supported by them direct, whilst the bodv of the mould is integra-l with the plate 35 whichorms the topof the piston The operator placesthe working lever 21 in the notch @of the cage 36 whichplaces and maintains the coupling sleeve 19 youtio't engagement with the clutch wheels 171 and 1-81'as shown inFig.|` 3' whereby the motor shaft 15 rotates freely and does not drive any member;

At this moment the mould is filled with the 'l'riaterials to be' agglomerated yand when this lilling is terminated. the operator actuates the lever 'and'places it in thenot'ch b'lotthe cage; The movement ot the lever produces 'the movement in the same direcl tion, of the connectingy rod 21v and conse*-y quentlycauses th'e sliding of`V the sleeve`19- oni* the shaft 15 in the direction ot' the pin4 ionV 1S withn the claws oit which the correL spending claws oli'v the' sleeve 1 9 come into engagement.

,The pi ion 18 thusbfecomesclut'cjhed with the shaft 15 and is driven therebyv at the saine speed7 and drives'` the shaft 26 through the toothed wheel 31 atl al lower speed than that'or1 the pinion 18. The result is-k that the cam 29 revolves with the shaft 26 and that at each revolutionk it" litts the' piston 34: by actingon the roller 39 andfsaid piston drops suddenly as ,soon as the nose of the cam quits the roller. There is consequently produced a series of consecutive and closely following' falls of lthe piston, which effects the gradual settling up ofthe materials conta-inedin the mould andy their proportional compression throughout the whole mass.

VYh'en this compression' is judged'to be sullieient, the operator disent-ages the lever 241 from the notch and brings it to the 'furthest opposite point of the cage 26iindicated by the letter c. There is no notch at this positionin order to vtorce the operator to hold the lever in his hand until the end ofthe operation. l

This displacement ot the vlever in inverse direction to the former produces the sliding ojlfj the sleeve 19 in the direction'o't the worm 17. This sleeve leaves the pinion 18 and. enters into' engagement with the' claws 171 of thefendless screw'. The cam 29 and the piston remain immovable while the"v helicoidal` toothed wheel 9 is driven by thel worm 17.

A s theV counterweight 141 alwaysVVV draws the shaft 121 of the pedal 12 from right to lett; the clutch sleeve 10 is thereby kept applied agajinst the claws 91 and thus renders the wheel 9 integra-l with the shaft 6. Gonlsequently the shaft starts to* rotate in the desired direction in order that the pinions 7 which constantly gear with the racks 8, produce the ascent of the'latter whichy slide in their housings and litt the bottom of the mould within-"the wallspt` the latter. The moulded and compressed block which is supported'by said bottom, rises gradually out of the mould and when the bottom has lll) reached or rather passed beyond the top edge of the mould, the operator presseswith his foot on the pedal 12, in orderto rock it and instantaneously produce the return movement ofthe sleeve 1() which kcauses the uncoupling of the wheel 9, which can rotate loosely on its shaft. The movement of the racksv stop andthe moulded block remains in the position which it occupies. At this instant the operator pushes the lever24 back intol the notch (t, position allowing free movement of the motor shaft, then he releases the pedal.

The block is then removed with the bottom which supports it, then a 'new'bottom'is put in the place of the former one. The shaft 6 is then put in motion in the reverse direction to the former by a reversing device for the motor shaft, which device'is not illustrated but may be of any known construction. The racks then descend again to their lowest position, it being understood y that the worm had been previouslycoupled.

l/Vhen the racks are at the end `of the stroke, the shaft 15 is again started in the forward working, then the sleeve 19 is placed at the dead point, Fig. 3 during the time required for 'filling the mould and the described operations are repeated.

In the modified construction shown in. Figs. 5 to 11 the members which perform the same function as those of the machine described withA reference to Figs. 1r to 4 are designa-ted by the same reference characters and the new ymembers bear different numerals.

This construction comprises the base 2 surmounted by the cylinder 1 in vwhich moves the piston 34 of which the bottom 38 is provided with the roller 39. The cam29 is however not keyed on the shaft 26 but is cast in one piece with the toothed wheel 31 and these two members rotate freely on the shaft 26 which is supported at one end in a bearing formed on the base 2 and at the other end in a bearing formed by the central part of the plate 33 closing the casing 32.

The shaft 6 isstill perpendicular to ,the motor shaft 15, but it is `now below the latter, which allows the .recess 40 inthe piston 34 to be suppressed. The pinions 7 intended to control the racks 8 are integral with this shaft 6, which rotates in two bear# ings formed, one by the base, the other by boss 5 of the plate 4'of the casing 31. This plate is shaped like a truncated conel in order to permit housing the toothed sleeve 10 keyed on the said shaft 6 and permitted to slide thereon.

The helicoidal toothed wheel 9 loose on the shaft 6 still has the crown 91 with which the sleeve 10 can engage. A ring 47 is mounted on the periphery of this sleeve in such manner that it cannot be separated therefrom but can rotate thereon in order to be driven only at a given moment. This result is obtained by a groove 48 extending only over a certain portion ofv the inner circumference of this ring and byl a pin 49 which is arranged at a point of the outer surface of the sleeve 10 and housed in said groove. This ring comprises a catch at one point of its periphery which is determined in accordance with the situation of the por tion of groove 48 and of the pin 49. f

The toothed sleeve 10 is, as formerly, placed in engagement with the crown wheel' 9l of the wheel 9 by means of a fork 11 in# tegral with an axle 121Ibelonging to the lever-pedal 12 provided with the counterweight 14. f

The members carried by the motorshaf 15 are the same as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 that is to say, the pinion 18 gearing with the wheel 31, the flywheel 30,

the double coupling-slee-ve 19, the worm 17 in engagement with the wheel 9. The fork 21 controlling the sliding of the sleeve 19, instead of being carried by the shaft l22 is now suspended at the end of this shaft of which the rotation is directly obtained by the working lever 24 which is rocked in one direction or the other in order to determine the coupling of the worm 17 or of the pinion 18, and of which the placing in the mean position, produces the uncoupling of one or the other of these two members. The lower end of the lever 24 is simply articulated at 241 to the outer end of the shaft 22, Fig. 6 and this lever is still moved within the cage 36 provided with the notches for fixing the lever corresponding to the various positions ofthe members. Below the shaft 22 and parallel with same 1s arranged a shaft 4511 and its end which projects inside the casing servesas axle to an angle lever of which the vertical arm 45 almost reaches the surface-of the ring 47; the horizontal arm 451 is above a stud 211- projecting in front of the corresponding prong of the fork 21, asseen in Fig. 10.

The arrangement of this angle lever and the ring 47 with the innergroove 48 and outer pin 471 forms automatic uncoupling means for the worm 17 and consequently of the members carried by the shaft 6.

'The working is similar to that for the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4 except as regards the automatic uncoupling mechanism which works in the following manner When the molding has lbeen effected the working lever 24 which was in desired position for coupling the sleeve 19 with the pinion 18 is altered in position and reversed in. order that the said sleeve 19 may slide on the shaft 15 and engage the worm 17. The latter being set in rotation rotates the toothed wheel 9. If the operator at this mcment keeps his foot pressed on the pedal 12,

the counter-weight14 isin the lifted positio-n shown in F ig. Gand the sleeveI 10 is keptz f ator: releases the :pedal the counterweightr14l falls haelt and" causes =rotat1on..of the shaft 12.1Y as 'wellI as thefroclving.- of: thefork ll which repelsthe sleeved() andputs into en-y gageinentwith the wheel 9.y The shaft G is then driven together withil the' pinions- 7;

which are integral therewith, .which actuate the racksS to 'lift the -iiilovable botto-tu ofthe mould.

f Therotation of the sleeve l0 does-notidrive the ring 47-so lon-g asfthei pin 49 moves-along the groove 48 but as soon as this pin-.abuts against the shoulder' formed by' ther endl of thisorooveitrenders this ring integralwrith the `fseeve. T he result is vthat the saidring isdrivenatltl'ie speed `ofthe shaft 6 andthat at a given momentthepin 471 encounters the lian'ging'end of the leverl 45-and!causesthis t'oswing. The rocking ofthe saidlever is transmitted by its horizontalarm 45 to the studh of the fork` E21v and-causes the rocking of the latter which in:its turn determines the sliding'ofy the double coupling sleeve 19in thev desired; direc-tion. for uncoupling. the wormflf:

The ascent ofthe moulded objectstops then in'unediately. and'this object eanfbe removedwith the movable bottom of the 'mould which serves it as supporta A new bottom is then placed in themouldl andthe operator at this'moment presses his--foot on'fthe pedal 12zinforder todisengage the sleeve lO from thelwheel 9. The shaft 6 and its uncoupled sleeve l() affording only a slightresistauce allow the racks to descend by gravity. and resumetheir normal position as the rods which forinthem are not toothed'- at their upper part'and they'cannotdescend lower than the position shown in Figs.` 5 to 8.

The moulded objects having variable thicknesses, eachmould which is fixedon the plate 35 of.Lv the piston is of course ofthe desired height; the course of the racks 8 must therefore be regulated accordingI to each dimension of mould in order that the movable bottom which. supports the mate.- rials to be moulded may arrive exactly at the top of the'mould at eachoperation of lifting out of the mould. This regulationy is obtained either'by replacing the ring 47 by a similar ring but in which the groove 48 is longerI or'shorter asv the case may be, or. by altering. the position` ofthe pin 49 on the periphery of the sleeve 10, for which purpose the plate 4 is removecb and. the said sleeveI is lifted off the shaft 6, then the ring 47 is removed in order to allow the change of place of the pin 49 which is a screw, for in'- stance, which is put in the desired hole of a series of holes provided in the sleeve. The ring 471-. isz in one or two parts or arranged in Thisring is. so placed ithat `the pin. 47'1 is at al given distance; from the pin.,49. of the sleeve, so4 thatfthe latterdrives the ringat a1 precise moment. which. is .determined in order vthatthis ringmay perform .such a; p01.4 tion of.a.revo.lution that thev pin 47ln'ieets the arm 45 of the uncoufpling lever at theezt-` act. momentwhen 4the movable bottom lof the mould rises above the top of this mould. n

This grooved'. ring` device' is only necessary when the course rof the reeks requires a rotation of :the shafti greater. than one revolutionbutwhen this course does notineces sitate aV revolution ofithis shaft, the. ring47 iscmittedand. it suicesto fix a pin at a given .point of the surface ofthe sleeve l0 in order thatthe 'angledlever 45,451 may be actuated at. the desired moment.

The modification shown inl? 'l2 and 13 is for the purpose of apply'iingthe machine tothe rapid? formation of foundry moulds.

The cylinder. l` in. which thepistonk 34 slides is heightened to a` certain extent as shown at la theleng th. of the piston being similarly increased. The top part' of the piston projects' out ofythecylinder, as previously, morder. to form a `plate 35, Which receives, for the nevv use of the machine5 a plate Z to Whichis fixed the modele.. This plate 1s provided. With three or four equi-V distant. radial. slots .352. y

On. the top of the racks 8 yisY crownwheel @which is also provided Withequidistant radial slots al similar tothose 352. To this crown-wheel are fastened rods b' by means of sliding;r members c.v This fastening is effected byy meansof bolts passing through the slots al and maintaining the members cv pressed against the upper surface of the-crown a.

The crown anormally rests on the shouldenY formed by the top of the` cylinder l andit surrounds the lowerI part of the ei:- tension l? asshoWnin Fig. l. The length of `therods Zn is equivalent tolthe height of the extension la. D i. l v

The formation` of the foundry mould is obtained as followsz K The model having. been. fastened to the plate 35, an ordinary castingbox` f is placed on the latter-,then it is filledwith sand g up toY the level: of the top edge Fig. l. At thismoi'nent the operator actuatesthe lever 24 and puts it intothey desired vposition in order that the sleeve 19 may enter into engagement with the pinion 1.8 and effect the coupling of the shaft 26 carrying the cam. 29 of which therotation, produces the alternate raising and. lowering ofthe piston 34 and its plate 35. It follows that the sudden falls of the latter cause the pogres.- sive settlingof the `sand g which assumeszexactly the form of the model a.

llO

l/Vhen the settling is judged to be sufficient, the operator again actuates the lever 24 in order to uncouple the shaft 26 and to couple the shaft 6 having the pinions 7 which gear with the racks 8. Consequently the said racks are drawn into an ascendent movement and raise the crown a with its rods b. The upper end of the latter then engages in the slots 352 of the plate and comes into Contact with the lower edge of the frame f, the latter is raised in its turn by the rods Z) with the sand which it contains, as is shown in Fig. 13. rlhe mould then bears exactly the impression o-f the model e and it is removed to be conveyed to the drying.

At this moment the working lever is placed at the dead point in order to allow the racks and the crown a to descend again to their position of rest, Fig. 12. A fresh frame is placed on the plate 35 and the same operations recommence for obtaining a fresh mould and so on.

The plate 35 has dimensions for receiving models of different sizes; the slots 352 and al enable the position of the rods b to be regulated in accordance with these dimensions on which depend these of the frame lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. The combination, in a machine for molding concrete, of a vertical cylindrical casing having a piston movable therewithin; a table on the upper part of said piston; means for adjusting the amplitude of movement of said piston; a shaft at the base of said piston; a roller loosely mounted on said shaft; a second shaft below the first-named shaft; a cam keyed thereon and coacting with said roller to rock said piston; a driving shaft parallel with the second-named shaft; a toothed wheel keyed on said second-named shaft; a pinion loosely mounted thereon and in mesh with said toothed wheel; a clutch member slidably keyed on said driving shaft and adapted to clutch either said pinion or a worm gear to said driving shaft; means for actuating said clutch member; racks on said tableactuated by pinions; and means foractuating said table first by a rocking movement and then by elevating the racks.

2. The combination, in a machine for molding concrete of a vertical cylindrical casing having a piston movable therewithin, a table on the upper part of said piston, means for adjusting the amplitude of movement of said piston, a shaft at the base of said piston, a roller loosely mounted on said shaft, a second shaft below the first-named shaft, a cam keyed thereon and coacting with said roller to rock said piston, a driving shaft parallel with the second-named shaft, a toothed wheel keyed on said secondnamed shaft, a pinion loosely mounted thereon and in mesh with said toothed wheel, ay

clutch member slidably keyed on said drivingshaft and adapted to clutch either said pinion or a worm gear to said' driving shaft,

a lever for actuating said clutch member, a cage having two notches, corresponding respectively to the engaged and disengaged positions of said clutch member, in which said lever can be engaged, racks on said table actuated by pinions, and means for actuating said table first by a rocking movementl and then by elevating the racks.

In witness whereof I have signed this' specification in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANooIs soNNET.

Witnesses:

' GAsToN JEAUNIAUX,

JULIAN KEMBLE Swnnenne. 

